Moments
by LegalFangirl
Summary: Severus Snape took Harry Potter in after the tragic death of his parents, and these are just a few peeks into the life of Severus and a young Harry as Severus tries to raise him.
1. The Monster Under the Bed

"Harry, time for bed," Severus called for the little boy who was playing quietly in front of the crackling fire with his stuffed rabbit/

"Not tired," the boy said. The flames cast an eerie mix of light and dark on the boy, the shadows would in one moment show the chubbiness of the three year old's baby cheeks, then cast them in a sinister way that made it look like he was thin and evil. Severus shuddered at the thought of his little boy turning evil, he prefered the chubby baby cheeks on this little one.

"How bout you just come and change into your pajamas then?"

"Not-" Harry broke off with a wide open mouthed yawn, "tieed," he finished with a giggle.

"Oh really?" Severus asked softly, coming behind the boy. Quiet as a mouse he swooped the boy up from where he was sitting. Harry let out a piercing shriek and his mouth opened up and a sweet tinkling sound came forth from his lips as he laughed at his guardian.

"Wiwy," he said, his face composed of all seriousness, his little eyes were wide, and this tiny mouth was set in a line that rivalled Minerva McGonagall's.

"Well mister, I think that maybe we should at least get your pajamas on, they are a lot comfier than what you have on now," Severus said. He settled the boy on his hip and looked into his green eyes.

"I wike my cwoths," Harry's bottom lip stuck out and his big green eyes turned upward.

"You like them?" Severus asked, his black eyes wide, pretending to be amazed at what the boy had just told him.

Narcissa had recently decided that Harry had needed, what she deemed, a 'proper' wardrobe, complete with dress robes, and even a miniature tuxedo for the poor boy. Severus thought it was a bit much, but Harry loved that his aunt Narcissa bought him nice clothes, and he wore them all the time. Today Harry had decided on little black dress pants and his favorite England Quidditch shirt.

"Mhm," Harry gave a stern nod and crossed his little arms.

"What if I get my pajamas on as well?"

"You doesn't got pjs wike me!" Harry exclaimed. "I gots ones with moving stars on dem. Yours are bwack."

"I know, you have much cooler pjs, don't you want to wear them? Then you can see where the stars are tonight." The pajamas were, again, Narcissa's idea, she had gotten Draco and Harry matching pajamas with stars on them that rotated to reflect what stars were out on that night, and Harry was in love with them.

"Otay," he said. The little boy wriggled in Severus' grip with a giddy smile on his face.

"You go get your pajamas on, I'll get mine, and we'll have a glass of milk before bed, ok?" Severus asked.

"Ok, ok, ok!" Harry said, with every word he clapped his little hands together and squirmed even more in the man's grasp. Severus bent down and let Harry go. The boy took off in a whirlwind down the hallway to his bedroom. Severus watched him go with a ghost of a smile on his lips. After a moment he turned to his own bedroom to pull on his nightclothes and in a few minutes was out in the kitchen.

The cool air from the Muggle refrigerator blasted Severus when he pulled it open to retrieve the carton of milk from the door. He began his nightly routine of pouring out two tall glasses of milk, he uncorked a vial sitting on the window sill above the kitchen sink and carefully put a few drops of the nutrient potion into both his and Harry's glasses. He smiled as he set them on the table, this was his favorite time of the day, just sitting and relaxing with Harry. The parents at the Muggle school Harry attended told him that once Harry hit four he would start to be able to hold a conversation. Severus couldn't wait until then, but for now he was able to smile and laugh at the adorable boy.

Severus was alerted of Harry's oncoming presence by the car noises that Harry was making as he ran from his room to the kitchen. With a screech, that was supposed to resemble a car braking, Harry stopped in the doorway. "I's here!" He cried, he flung his arms open wide to show Severus his pajamas.

"Yes you are," Severus said, a smile on his lips. The man would have never guessed that James Potter's son was going to make him smile like an idiot so often, but Harry Potter was in front of him, making his life better. "Would you like your bedtime drink young sir?" Severus asked, with a mocking bow to the boy.

A bubbling sound escaped Harry's lips. Green eyes alight with life and laughter he ran at Severus who picked him up and twirled him into a hug. "Yes Sev," Harry said.

"Alrighty, right then," Severus said, and sat Harry down at his chair.

"Fanks Sev," Harry said and wrapped his little hand around the glass in front of him. Severus turned his back to the boy to rummage through the cupboards. In a few moments he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the small box and turned to Harry. He normally didn't condone sweets before bed, but Severus was in a good mood, he had finally completed his potions mastery testing.

"Here you go little man," Severus said, reverently putting the piece of chocolate in front of Harry. The boy's green eyes doubled in size, and his lips, with a white ring around them from the milk, fell open.

"Afore bed?" Harry asked, picking up the chocolate wrapped in gold.

Severus choose not to answer the question,it would be hopeless to explain, instead said, "It's the last chocolate from Narcissa from France."

"Mmmmmm," Harry said, ripping the dark brown goodness from it's golden confines. He popped it in his mouth and chomped down on the ball. Harry closed his eyes and smiled, his shoulders raised up to his ear as he enjoyed the little piece of heaven in his mouth. With a large gulp the chocolate had disappeared to the boy's stomach, but the toothy smile stayed.

"That good huh?" Severus asked, he was just undoing the wrappings of his own piece. He, unlike three year old Harry, knew how to savor such a rich flavor. Severus took a nibble off of the candy. The rich taste of dark chocolate melted in his mouth, and covered his taste buds with so much flavor that it was hard to resist a moan. Really Narcissa knew his weakness for chocolates, and she knew where to get the best sweets from.

Severus slowly ate his chocolate while Harry began talking about something that he had neglected to tell Severus that had happened at school earlier in the day. It was a Friday at school so the kids had free time, and Harry was going on and on about a board game his friends and he had played, and about the game of tag they had played at recess. Severus smiled and let his boy keep on talking.

"Alright little man, I think it's time for you head to hit a pillow," Severus declared when his chocolate was gone and Harry was yawning with every other word. He came around the side of the chair and lifted Harry out of it, the boy's head fell right to Severus' shoulder and the breathing instantly deepened. Severus chuckled into the mop of hair on the boy's head.

After tucking Harry in with a goodnight kiss on the forehead Severus too retired to bed. Sleep came to embrace him quickly once the lights were turned out, and Severus gladly accepted the good nights rest to come.

But all that's good cannot last forever.

Severus didn't hear the soft creak of the door opening that night, or the light tread of bare feet on the wooden floors. But he was yanked out of sleep by a soft tug on his sheets and a muffled sob.

Severus shot up. Years of being a guardian had certainly taught him that when his child came into his room in the wee hours of the morning something was wrong. And his senses were attuned to the sound of crying, that was what had gotten his attention.

"Sev?" asked a small voice to the left of him.

"Harry are you alright?" Severus asked, pulling back the covers and swinging his legs out of bed to face the boy. Harry only gave a hiccuping sob. "Hey lil man, what's wrong?" Severus asked, he grabbed the boy in the dim light and pulled the child up onto his lap. Harry instantly clung to Severus' arm and curled his tiny head into Severus' shoulder. The boy vibrated in his lap as another sob shook his small body. "Harry?" Severus asked in a gentle tone, his hand automatically came and began rubbing circles on Harry's back.

"Deres a monsta," Harry sobbed. "In my cwoset," the little boy sniffled and nosed Severus' shoulder, trying to wipe away the tears. Severus sighed.

Of course it was the curse of the monster in the closet. Even he as a child had had such nightmares. He had never let the boy sleep with him, he thought it was coddling him too much, honestly he didn't even know if it was something that parents did on a regular basis. And there was the question of if Harry would then constantly come to his bed when ever there was a sound in the night.

"Do you want to sleep here with me?" Severus' eyebrows flew up, he hadn't meant to say that. "Uh-" Harry nodded sleepily into the man's shoulder and wrapped his small hands around Severus' arm, firmly anchoring himself to the man.

"I guess it won't be such a big deal if it's only one night," Severus whispered to himself and swung himself and Harry onto his bed. With a motion of his hand the door of his bedroom shut and they were cloaked in darkness once again, waiting for sleep to take them into her warm embrace. Severus had the little boy wrapped up in his arms, the boy's head was nestled into his chest. Severus gave a sad smile, there was no way in hell that he deserved to be this happy, or have the privilege of raising such a sweet, innocent boy. With that thought he fell into a deep sleep.

Severus awoke to hands on his face. "Sev is seepy," Harry's little voice called to him through his sleep, a laugh from the little boy finally made the man open his eyes. "A 'mornin," Harry smiled toothily at him.

Severus grunted. It's not that he didn't like be woken up with his little boy in front of him, he just couldn't function without coffee. And he was always a lot less grumpy with caffeine buzzing through his system.

"Can we fight the monsta?" Harry asked. Severus felt a weight on his chest and looked up at the boy. The three year old was laying on his chest, his head was resting underneath Severus' chin, and his little hands were intertwining themselves behind Severus' head.

"We need breakfast," was the muttered response of the man, he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the little boy on top of him, holding Harry closer to himself.

"Sev," Harry laughed. The boy on top of him squirmed around under his tight grip. But Severus only smiled slightly and tightened his arms a little more. "Wet go of me!" Harry demanded, but from the slight lilt in his small voice Severus knew that the boy was trying not to laugh.

Severus groaned, and made to let the boy go, but instead he rolled onto his stomach, trapping the boy beneath him and the bed. "Harry?" the man asked, looking around for the boy. "Where'd you go?"

"Wight here Sev!" Harry's muffled voice sounded from beneath his chest.

"Where? I can't see you?" Severus was smiling broadly and looking around his stark room pretending to look for the boy.

"Can't bweeth Sev," the boy said, squirming harder beneath the man.

Severus rolled off of the boy. "Well how'd you get under me lil man?" Severus asked, keeping a straight face and looking right into Harry's green eyes.

"You did it siwwy," Harry said.

"Me?" Severus asked, trying to sound astounded. "I would never do that to you!"

"Nuh ah you did it to me," Harry said, trying to look stern, but the look failed on his cute face, his chubby baby cheeks weren't ready for that look quite yet. Severus chuckled and shook his head as he got out of bed, intent on getting a cup of strong coffee into his system. Harry, surprisingly, left him alone on his tread to the kitchen, but there was no such luck of having a quiet cup of coffee to start his day.

"Sev!" Harry yelled from down the hall that potion master had exited.

"Don't yell Harry," Severus warned in a stern voice.

"Sev!" Harry called again.

"Harry James, listen to me, you don't yell inside, we use inside voices here."

"Sev!" Harry's voice reached a crescendo. There was a waver in his little voice. The cup dropped from his hands, but he didn't register the shatter of glass or the hot liquid on the floor, his son was in need. Severus sprinted towards Harry's voice.

"Harry? Are you alright Harry? Harry?" Severus asked, the worry in his voice increasing with every word.

"Sev?" Harry whispered, the little boy's voice was bordering on tears.

"Harry, kid, what's wrong?" Severus rushed to the little boy. His hair was messy, his hands were shoved down the front of his pants, and his green eyes were full of tears. Normally Severus would berate Harry for having his hands in his pants, but the distress in his little eyes was too much.

"D-d-da monstas m-m-moved," Harry cried, looking up at Severus.

"Where is it Harry?" Severus asked, he put his hands on the boy's shoulders and pulled the little boy into his arms, Harry's arms instantly clasped behind Severus' neck.

"I-I-It's in the bafrum," Harry's speech was harder to understand because his head was in Severus' shoulders and the tears were thick.

"The bathroom?" Severus prompted. Harry nodded in the man's shoulders, his little body shook as he tried to hold in the sobs. "Ok bud," Severus pulled the boy off of his shoulder. Harry's hands went up to his cheeks and tried to wipe away the tears, more like he pushed them around instead of drying them. "You have to be brave now, you think you can do that?" Severus asked, looking into the boy's face. Harry's eyes steeled over, or as much as they could for one so young, and nodded up at Severus. "Good, that's really good Harry cause we are going to go fight this monster, are you up for it?" he asked. Harry nodded. "Ok, come on lil man," Severus stood up and held his hand out to Harry. The boy took a firm hold of three of his fingers, and stood tall beside his guardian.

"I's ready," Harry said, the quiver in his voice from earlier was gone.

"Let's go," Severus said, he pulled his wand out of his arm sheath, more for show than anything, there was no way that an actual monster was in the house.

The pair stalked to the bathroom door, Harry on his tiptoes trying to be as quiet as possible, Severus treading lightly in his bare feet. There was a rattling from behind the white door. Severus' three fingers were squeezed tighter in Harry's grip, and a small, terrified face looked up at his. Severus looked down at the boy and put a finger to his lips. Monster hunting was a big deal.

But, he didn't reveal this to Harry, the rattling of the door did bother him. He hadn't cast a spell to make the door do that. There might actually be something. But it seemed like it could be a boggart, hiding in Harry's closet, then moving to the small half bathroom that Harry claimed as his own, they were both dark spaces, and convenient places to hide.

The door rattled again. Harry pressed himself flush to Severus' leg, his whole body trembling. Severus pointed his wand at the bathroom doorknob, and with a silent spell the door banged open.

Severus' breath caught in his throat, it was not possible, how was he here?

Out of the bathroom came a man. He was tall, long billowing robes, a deadly wand and red eyes like a snake. Lord Voldemort.

Harry began trembling violently, tears were streaming down his face. Severus came to his senses and bent down to Harry's level. "Ok, you have to be brave now my lil man," Severus said into Harry's ear, while keeping an eye on the boggart Dark Lord. "Remember, we're fighting a monster, so, I'm going to change it to something funny. The way to beat this monster is to laugh at it, can you do that for me?" Severus asked.

"I beat monsta then?" Harry asked, looking to his guardian.

"Yup, you'll beat the monster if you laugh at him, do you think you can be brave enough to do that?" Harry nodded, staring wide eyed at the boggart Dark Lord before him.

Severus stood to his full height, facing his worst fear, his wand raised to utter the spell that would change the boggart. But the boggart shifted, it wasn't the Dark Lord anymore, it was Severus. The boggart was holding something in his arms, a little boy. A little dead boy, one that looked exactly like the one holding his hand now. Severus choked back a cuss, and instead exclaimed, "Riddikulus!"

The boggart changed into a man riding a unicycle, and juggling circus balls.

Harry's light peals of laughters brought Severus back to this moment, where his son was alive and well beside him.

"'Ook, 'ook!" Harry laughed, pulling on Severus's hand. Severus looked at the boggart, now struggling to stay upright on the unicycle, his laughter soon joined in with Harry's, and with a final shudder the boggart disappeared.

The laughter died quickly after that. Severus stared at the wooden wall in front of him. Harry's worst fear was Voldemort, the boy seemed to recall memories from that night when Lily died. Severus shuddered at the thought, he didn't want his boy to remember something so terrible. And the form that the boggart had taken for him, Harry dead in his arms. He looked down at the little boy who was looking up at him expectantly.

"What?" Severus asked, lowering his wand to his side.

"Did we win?" Harry asked.

"Yes we did, you did so well my lil monster fighter," Severus said. He swooped down on the boy and caught him underneath his armpits and lifted him into the air.

"Yay!" Harry yelled, and clapped his hands together, his mouth split into a wide grin.

"You did so good," Severus repeated and brought the boy to his chest and wrapped his strong arms around the boy, he buried his head into Harry's hair. His little boy.

"Beck-fast now?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'm soooooo hungry," Severus said, pulling the boy away from him. "I think all this calls for a special treat, just because you did such a great job laughing at the monster and getting rid of him. Do you want some chocolate chip pancakes?" Severus asked, making his way to the kitchen.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Harry exclaimed, squirming in Severus' hands. Severus' smile grew as Harry started rambling about how he fought the monster single handedly. This time Severus didn't correct him, he just relished in the fact that Harry was alive, and his, he was his son, and he loved him.


	2. Daddy

**Daddy**

Severus stood near the other parents in the hallway as they awaited their kids to get done with school. He felt awkward, there were mostly well-dressed mothers waiting for their children, and there he was in jeans and a sweatshirt. He really didn't understand it, he wasn't going to dress up just to pick up his kid from school, but the looks from those around him told his that he should have. Severus really wasn't that off put by the looks though, he had been getting them all his life, all it did was irritate him.

A shrill bell pierced the gossip of the ladies around him, and the children began streaming out the classrooms, the chaos began. In a flurry of color the older student came out the rooms by themselves and they either found their parents or continued down the hallway to the bus lane. The noise around Severus grew as parents greeted their kids and more students came down the hall. Once the noise from the older students quieted down then came the younger kids, lead by their teachers. Severus saw Harry's teacher, Miss Gardner, leading the way with a smile, and holding a student's hand. Severus scanned the line of kids that followed her, he spotted Harry clinging to the hand of his assistant teacher, Miss DeBrun, a woman that had been a few years older than him in school and who had joined the Order soon after school. Severus had to sigh, she had spoken a few harsh words to him already, and was not looking forward to talking to her again.

"Sev!" Harry's small voice rose above the chatter that a Friday after school brings with it. Severus' face split into a smile. The little boy raised a hand and waved frantically at him, Severus smiled and waved back at him with a small motion of his hand. Harry tried to pull away from Miss DeBrun, but the assistant teach kept a firm hold on Harry's hand, and a stern look on her face. Her mouth was set in a straight line and Severus really didn't like the way that she was eyeing him, a look of great dislike, and mistrust was clear in her dark eyes.

"Snape," she spat at the man, her grip tight, not on Harry's hand, but on his small wrist.

"Let go of my son, DeBrun," Severus said, no emotion showing on his face.

"Sev, Sev, Sev, guess what-" Harry said, jumping up and down, his black hair flying around, and his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles backpack thumping against his back.

"Harry, I need to talk to your...to Snape," she said, still holding the boy, but not acknowledging him, her eyes solely rested on Severus.

"What? Has Harry done something?" Severus asked, his eyes looking at the black-haired green-eyed boy.

"I's do nofin!" Harry insisted, his big green eyes looking up at Severus. "Honest," he added, his movement stilled and his expression opened up to show Severus that he was sincere.

"Alright kiddo, I believe you, let me just talk to your teacher for a minute alright?" he asked with a smile and a ruffle of his hair.

"Otay," Harry smiled happily.

"What would you like to say DeBrun?" Severus asked, his tone even.

"I think this conversation is one that Harry shouldn't have to listen in on," the woman said, keeping a tight hold on Harry's wrist.

"Please, let go of Harry," Severus said, his voice low and dangerous, but the woman didn't pick up that hint.

"No, I think that he is better off with me," she stated firmly.

"Oh, and what makes you think that?" Severus asked, he knew where this was going, but he wanted to clear this up with this lady.

"You're Death Eater scum, and have no right to be taking care of Harry Potter. You're going to corrupt him, you're not fit to take care of any child, especially not one that destroyed your precious Dark Lord," she whispered, even with such a quiet voice her words carried over the sounds of the other parents and children around them.

"I beg to differ," Severus said politely. "It was proven that I turned to help that Order in the end, I helped you out, you realize that DeBrun? What has brought this on anyways?" Severus asked, narrowing his eyes a fraction.

"Harry needs to sort out who you are to him, you are not his father," she spit out, leaning in closer. "You are nothing, just a guardian, and I made sure that Harry knows that, you Death Eater."

Severus stood impassive, but his blood was boiling, how dare she, how dare she tell Harry who he was. He opened his mouth to spit back some nasty insult, but was interrupted.

"Is everything alright?" Miss Gardener asked, looking between her assistant teacher, and the parent of a child.

"Oh yes," DeBrun smiled at Miss Gardener, "I was just letting Mr. _Snape_ , here know how Harry _Potter_ is doing." Miss Gardener's eyes were on Severus when DeBrun sneered at him. She threw Harry's wrist out of her grip, and turned her back on Severus. Immediately Severus dropped down to pick Harry up. The little boy was confused, and looking at his assistant teacher, and rubbing his wrist that she had held onto so hard.

"Is everything ok?" Miss Gardener asked again, watching her assistant teacher storm away from them.

"Yes, Miss DeBrun was just informing me on Harry," Severus said, turning his gaze from the woman walking away to the one in front of him. Miss Gardener barely reached Severus' shoulder, even with her heels on.

The woman in front of him flicked her brown shoulder length hair, "what did she say? Harry was an angle, like always," she smiled, her gaze flickering to the boy in Severus' arms.

"Fanks," Harry said, with a smile on his face, his little teeth showing clearly.

"Oh no, there apparently was some confusion about me being Harry's guardian, not father, that Miss DeBrun wanted to make clear to me," Severus said, he couldn't tell Harry's teacher what it was, obviously, but he could make it clear that he wasn't fond of the lady.

"Oh," Miss Gardener looked over her shoulder to see her assistant teacher turn a corner into her classroom. "I'm sorry, it isn't her place to tell you, that's for you and Harry to decided." Miss Gardener sighed, "I really am sorry Mr. Snape, I don't know what she said to you, and it isn't my place to ask, but just know that I think it's great that you took in this boy. You are very lucky, he's such a nice boy," she smiled again at Harry.

"Call me Severus, please, Mr. Snape reminds me of my father," Severus said immediately, he hated being reminded of his father, there were no decent memories connected to that man. "And thank you, taking Harry in has been the best thing I could've ever done," he ruffled Harry's messy black hair.

"Sev," Harry said and put his head on his guardian's shoulder.

"Yes Harry?" Severus asked, turning his head to the little boy.

"Love you," he murmured and nosed Severus' neck.

"Love you too bud," he whispered. Severus turned back to Miss Gardener, she was smiling widely at the pair.

"Well, it's been very nice talking to you, Severus, but I must be going, I hope to see you at the Halloween festival next week," she said with a smile and a small wave as she turned her back to return her classroom.

Halloween Festival? Severus mouthed at her back.

"Sev?" Harry asked.

"What kiddo?" he asked, and turned to the exit doors.

"We see Draco tonight?" Harry asked, Severus pushed open the door to the crisp fall air, and the colors on the trees.

"Hmmmmm, does Draco want to see you?" Severus asked.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Harry cried, squirming in Severus' arms.

"Really?" Severus asked, raising his eyebrows, "Yup!" Harry said, a smile wide on his face

"What about Narcissa and Lucius, do they want to see you?" Severus asked, setting Harry down.

"Yes Sev!" Harry said, jumping up and down.

"Take my hand Harry," Severus said, offering out his hand to the little boy. Harry took it without a word. "I suppose we might be able to see them," Severus said, pulling the boy to a stop before they crossed a street.

"Yay!" Harry said, his green eyes crinkling in his smile.

"Am I not fun enough to be with?" Severus asked, signaling with a slight pressure on Harry's hand that it was time to cross the street.

"You isssss, but Draco is fun to," Harry said, tugging on Severus' hand. "An I doesn't sees him all da time."

Severus smiled and stopped in front of his black car. He pulled open the door and Harry hopped up into the seat, with a smile Severus situated the boy and buckled himself into the front seat, and in a moment they were off.

"Harry?" Severus asked a few minutes later, looking at the boy through the rear view mirror. The boy looked to his guardian from where he had been staring out the window. Severus choked on what he was going to ask, he really wanted to know what prompted DeBrun's outburst, but when his eyes meet Harry's he couldn't do it, not yet, it was going to spoil the rest of the day. "What did you do at school today?" he asked instead.

"We did mafs!" Harry yelled.

"Harry, we are inside, you don't need to talk so loud," Severus warned, glancing at the boy.

"Sorry," Harry said, a little quieter. "We did mafs, and I go to Miss Forpe," Harry's face scrunched in concentration. "Miss Ssss, no...Miss T-," Harry grunted, and crossed his arms over his chest, the frustration of saying his speech therapist's name getting to him.

"Miss Thorpe?" Severus asked, putting emphasis on the 'th' in her name.

"Uhuh," Harry's voice was small. Severus looked back at his boy, his green eyes were full of tears, and his lower lip trembled.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Severus asked, he quickly pulled to the side of the road so he could give Harry his full attention.

"I dot it today," Harry said, his voice shaky. "I said my t h wight. I wants to sow 'ou..but...but," Harry dissolved into tears.

Severus reached a hand back to Harry and rested his hand on Harry's small, knobby knee. "I bet you did. And I want to hear you say it right Harry, but remember it took you a long time to say your r's and l's right. You've just started on your th sound. I'm really proud of you for getting it today. How 'bout we work on it this weekend, and maybe you can get it?" Severus asked, trying to calm his bawling son.

"I wants my Dada to be 'appy," Harry hiccupped.

Severus remained quiet for a moment, Harry had finally called him dad. He didn't hold back the smile that reigned his face. "I am happy Harry," Severus said, running a hand on Harry's knee, trying to soothe the boy.

"You is?" Harry asked, his wide green eyes turning up to Severus. Severus nodded. "You is!" Harry exclaimed seeing Severus' smile, the tears immediately ceased.

"Yes I am Harry," Severus said with a reassuring smile. Once Severus was convinced that Harry wasn't faking that he was ok he turned back to the road and started on the fifteen minute drive home. The ride was full of incessant chatter from the boy in the backseat, Severus wasn't sure what exactly Harry talked about, but he kept smiling at him in the rearview mirror.

"I win!" Harry declared as his little body came to an abrupt stop in front of the door to their home. He slammed a hand on the door knob. "See? I touch the door ferst!" Harry smiled at Severus, who was still walking slowly up the drive to the boy.

"You sure did!" Severus exclaimed.

"'Ts easy to win, yous old!" Harry laughed. Severus looked offended at Harry's proclamation, even though he was called old every week by his boy.

"You're going to get it young man," Severus growled playfully. He took the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Harry disappeared into the house with a shriek of laughter, Severus heard the thunk of Harry's backpack hitting the floor. With a shake of his head Severus closed the door behind him and turned on the lights.

"Harry, how 'bout you have an after school snack before we go see Draco?" Severus called. There was a muffled agreement from upstairs and a minute later Harry was anxiously waiting in the kitchen for Severus to finish preparing the snack.

"Do you have any papers for me?" Severus asked, paying attention to the cheese he was slicing.

"Uh huh. You goin to the Hawoween party?" Harry asked.

"Um, I dunno bud, that might be hard for me," Severus said. There was so much more that he wished Harry could understand, about the fact that Halloween meant so much more for the two of them than for most people. It brought back memories of Lily, and of his father in a drunken rage on that year before he had left for Hogwarts. The knife in his hand stilled. Halloween never held good memories, there was no trick or treat for him, no dressing up. And not to mention that going to Harry's school for the party would mean being surrounded by so many small, sniveling children all hyped up on candy, and if he had to dress up, there was no way he was going to be seen there.

"Peas?" Harry asked. Severus didn't look behind him, and he didn't have to to know that Harry was staring wide-eyed at him.

"I'll think about it Harry," Severus said tiredly. He brought the cheese and apple slices to Harry. The boy beamed at him. "Harry, I have something important to ask you, ok?" he asked as he took the seat across from Harry.

"Wha?" Harry asked, with a chunk of cheese in his mouth.

"No talking with your mouthful," Severus said, but it was clear that his heart wasn't in it. "Why did Miss DeBrun have to talk to me today?Harry visibly gulped, "I doesn't do nofink wong."

"I know Harry. That's not what she talked to me about. Harry why did she talk to me about you thinking I was your father?"

"Oh," Harry said, he wasn't looking Severus in the eyes, but was playing with a chunk of cheese. "We had to draw a pixture of our famey, an...an eveyone was drawin their mummies and daddies. Well drawed us," Harry said, he quickly shoved the piece of cheese in his mouth, as if that ended their conversation.

"Can I see the picture?" Severus asked. He bit into an apple slice thoughtfully, there should have been nothing wrong with Harry drawing a picture of them.

"Uhuh," Harry said. He leaned over and grabbed a stack of papers from his backpack. "It's in dere," he said, putting the stack on the table. Harry snagged another cheese square and contentedly munched on it as Severus rifled through the papers.

"Have at least three apple slices, or you aren't going to Draco's," Severus said, his nose buried in the papers.

"But-"

"Harry, you know the drill, you need to eat your fruits and vegetables to grow up into a strong boy," Severus grimaced, the letter he was currently reading on the Halloween Party - if he were to go he would have to dress up.

Harry sighed and moodily grabbed the three smallest apple slices.

Severus flipped the letter to the back of the pile, to be forgotten and smiled. There was Harry's picture. Two crudely drawn crayon figures were standing on green ground and the sun was smiling in the corner. Severus, clad in all black, was the taller of the figures, he was holding onto a smaller boy's hand, and both of them had a smile on their face, it was clear that it was Harry from the scar that was drawn on his forehead. Over top of the figures, in Harry's young handwriting with a brilliant red crayon was "mE and My DaDDY".

"This was the picture?" Severus asked, holding out the drawing for Harry to see.

Harry nodded glumly, "Miss DeBun made me draw anover one on da back. See said dat one was wong."

Severus creased his eyebrows and turned the picture over. There were the two figures again, but this time Harry wasn't holding Severus' hand, in fact they were on opposite sides of the paper, the two faces weren't smiling, there was no mouth on either of them. They weren't standing on any ground, and there was no smiling sun in the corner. In a neat scrawl, that wasfar from Harry's hand writing, underneath each of the characters were their names. Harry Potter was written under the smaller figure, and Severus Snape was written, not as neatly, under the figure that represented him.

"Why did Miss Debrun say your first picture was wrong?" Severus turned back to the original picture.

"See said you wasn't my dad," Harry still wasn't looking at Severus.

Severus' heart wrenched, he got up and knelt beside the boy, "Harry, look at me," he said softly. Watery green eyes meet Severus' black ones. In his hands he rested Harry's small ones. "The only way which I am not your father is in blood. I am your father in every other way, and I love you, I love you like my own son Harry." Harry threw himself into Severus' arms and locked his neck in a viscous hug. Severus' arms immediately circled the small boy.

"I love you Dad," Harry whispered into Severus' ear.

"I love you too son," Severus replied with a smile. They stayed in a hug for a few moments longer. "How 'bout you go get ready to go to Draco's, huh kiddo?" Severus asked.

"Otay," Harry yelled and sprinted upstairs to his room. While Harry was changing Severus looked back at the picture of him and his son. With a flick of his wand the picture was encased in a picture frame and hung over the couch on the sitting room wall so they could look at it all the time.

Harry thundered down the stairs, clothes changed, and overnight bag packed. Severus didn't bother looking into the child's bag, he practically had a whole new wardrobe at Malfoy Manor. "Harry did you see what's over the couch?" Severus asked with a warm smile. Harry's green eyes looked to the wall.

"Daddy!" He yelled when he saw the picture. He ran at Severus who, at a moment's notice swept the boy into his arms, and hugged him close to his chest. His child, who he was never letting go of.


End file.
